Iran Urges Arabs to Give Palestinians Military Aid

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani urged Arab states on Wednesday to follow Iran's example of providing military assistance to the Palestinians.

Israel continued airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday with the goal of deterring Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that runs the territory, from launching rockets that have plagued its southern communities for years.

Iran regards the Israeli strikes are "organized terrorism."

"We are honored that our help has material and military aspects and these Arab countries that sit and hold meetings should know that the nation of Palestine does not need words or meetings," Fars news agency reported Larijani as saying. "Our message is that if Arab countries want to help the nation of Palestine they should give military assistance."

Iranian officials have refused to comment on allegations that Tehran had supplied Hamas with Fajr-5 rockets which the group has fired on Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial center.